Title

Stephen's Catapult of Awesomeness

Problem Scenario

I was curious if a catapult would work better with a second hinge because I really wanted to shoot things out of one. That is why I chose this topic.

Broad Question

What is the effect of a second hinge on a catapult? Will it be better than a catapult with only one hinge?

Hypothesis

I think the ball will achieve greater distance with the second hinge. The ball will not go as far without the second hinge.

Graph of Hypothesis

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Specific Question

Will a second hinge in a catapult make the ball fling farther?

Variables

Independent Variable:

The ping ball and how far the ball will go.

Dependent Variable:

the second hinge.

Variables That Need To Be Controlled:

The catapult, amount of rubber bands

Vocabulary List That Needs Explanation

Catapult - A device in which accumulated tension is suddenly released to hurl or launch an object some distance
Hinge - a movable joint or mechanism on which a door, gate or lid swings as it opens and closes, or in this case, that connects linked objects.
Distance - a far-off point or place
Centimeter - a metric unit of length, equal to one hundredth of a meter.

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General Plan

1.Build a catapult with materials found at home.
2. The catapult will have 2 hinges. One hinge will be removeable.
3. Shoot a ping pong ball in the catapult with one hinge and then shoot the ping pong ball adding a second hinge.
4. The first time the ping pong ball is shot, one rubber band will be used. The second time the ping pong ball is shot, two rubber bands will be used. The third time the ping pong ball is shot, three rubber bands will be used.
5. Measure in centimeters, the distance the ball goes each time the ball is shot with single hinge and double hinge.

Potential Problems and Solutions

Safety Or Environmental Concerns

Always wear safety goggles to protect the eyes whenever doing any experiment which results in objects flying through the air.
Do this science project in a place outside like an open field so nothing breaks

Experimental Design

(add the correct headings from the experimental design page before beginning)

Resources and Budget Table

wood, screws,	Home	$0.00
rubberbands	Home	$0.00
ping pong ball	Gym	$0.00

Data Table

Extra Hinge	One Hinge
71.4	198.3
271.7	489.9
397.1	597.2

Time Line

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Background Research

I searched the web for pictures of different catapults. There are many different types of catapults to choose from. I chose one that I could build using materials I already had around my house.
I made a catapult with a second hinge to see if that would make the ball achieve greater distance.
Most catapults only have one hinge and catapults were made to destroy things by catapulting things through the air.

References

Detailed Procedure

Step One: I used one rubberband and attached it to the catapult to record the distance that the ball achieved. I did this three times with two different types of catapults. One with one hinge ( The regular catapult), and one with a second hinge.
Step Two: I calculated the distance each time to get six different averages.

Diagram

Photo List

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Results

All Raw Data

71.4 271.7 397.1

198.3 489.9 597.2

Graphs

blue=1 rubberband-- red=2 rubberbands-- yellow=3 rubberbands

Photos

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Data Analysis

The catapult with an extra hinge shot an average of 71.4 cm with only one rubberband, then an average of 271.7 cm with two rubberbands, and finally an average of 397.1 cm with three rubberbands. The catapult with only one hinge shot an average of 198.3 cm with one rubberband, then an average of 489.9 cm with two rubberbands, and finally an average of 597.2 cm with three rubberbands.

Conclusion

At the end, the catapult without the second hinge shot farther than the one with the second hinge. My hypothesis was wrong and now I know what shoots better. A catapult with one hinge is better.

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Discussion

It looks as if when it only has the one hinge, the ball goes farther than when it has the second hinge.
With my experiment, I only used one catapult, but made some adjustments. I could have used two catapults, one with an extra hinge and one with only one hinge, to have done my experiment, but I only had enough materials at home to make one catapult.

Benefit to Community and/or Science

Now we know that a catapult will achieve greater distance using only one hinge. A second hinge will make a ping pong ball go higher, but not farther than a single hinged catapult.

Abstract